Giving Opportunities

Giving Opportunities

The UCSB Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry provides stellar opportunities for study and research at the cutting edge of modern chemical science.  With renowned faculty in all areas and two Nobel Prize winners, US News and World Reports ranks our Department among the top one hundred institutions worldwide.  The strongly collaborative environment and interdisciplinary culture allow talent and vision to thrive. Graduates of the PhD program are well-equipped to pursue career options in a wide variety of areas.  We are committed to recruiting and retaining the best and brightest students and world-class scholars, whose positive energy will continue to strengthen every aspect of the program.

Areas in Need of Funding:

Unrestricted Support

Student Support

Faculty Support

Capital Naming Opportunities

UNRESTRICTED SUPPORT

The Department Chair and Executive Committee designate unrestricted gifts to the highest priority needs of the Department.  This flexible funding allows the Department to seize new opportunities that emerge as well as support the existing outstanding students, faculty, and research. 

Impact:

  • Create and maintain top-notch learning programs for undergraduates
  • Support and reward the research endeavors of our very best students
  • Facilitate cutting edge research efforts that move all areas of chemistry forward
  • Attract and hire the most competitively recruited scientists at every stage of their careers
  • Support the best and brightest graduate students in their pursuit of a Ph.D. degree
  • Bring distinguished lecturers to the Department to the benefit of both faculty and students
  • Outfit and equip laboratories and facilities where faculty and students of all levels can interact

STUDENT SUPPORT

The strength of a university department is often evaluated on the quality of its students and the research in which they are engaged.  Our ability to recruit and retain the very best scholars is essential to the success of the Department.  Education is at the core of our mission and your support of the outstanding undergraduates and graduates within the Department is instrumental in our ability to educate the next generation of leaders whose future endeavors will have a profound impact on society.

Graduate Program Development

The recruitment of top graduate-level scholars both nationally and internationally is among the highest priorities of the Department.  Support for programming directed toward prospective students enables us to compete with the very best universities in the Nation.  Recruitment and retention of these top students allows for development of the highest quality program possible at all levels of graduate study.  In addition to graduate fellowships, current initiatives include a student-hosted seminar series, development of graduate student life programming, and renovation of graduate student space within the Department.

Named Endowed Fellowship:

A gift of $200,000 or more establishes a permanent named fellowship. 

Named Quarter Fellowship

A gift of $10,000 will fully support a graduate student for one quarter of his or her career.  This type of fellowship is extremely helpful for graduate students as it allows them to take a quarter off from teaching and focus solely on their research and dissertation. 

Named Full-Year Fellowship

A gift of $50,000 or more fully supports a graduate student for one year of their career. 

Jarrod Davidson Memorial Scholarship

The Jarrod Davidson Memorial Scholarship Fund was established to celebrate the memory of Jarrod Davidson, UCSB Chemistry PhD candidate from Fall 2003 through Spring 2004.  Jarrod Davidson was a loving father and graduate student studying Organic Chemistry in the lab of Dr. Thomas Pettus.  The Jarrod Davidson Memorial Scholarship is awarded annually for the benefit of graduate students studying chemistry at UCSB and facing special challenges raising a family.  By supporting this Fellowship, we can pass on Jarrod's spirit and the impact that he would have had on the world had he been with us longer. 

Outstanding Teaching Award

Approximately 75-80 Teaching Assistant positions are available to graduate students in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry each quater, with more than 5,000 undergraduate students advancing through laboratories led by current PhD candidates.  A few of the most exceptional Teaching Assistants are also provided with the opportunity to teach their own undergraduate lecture course.  The Outstanding Teaching Award, for which 1-5 students are selected, supports the efforts of those who far exceed their minimum teaching requirements.  The Award is given to Teaching Assistants and Teaching Associates who receive glowing reviews from both course instructors and students and whose impact as teachers is clearly evident.  Support of this award encourages continued excellence in teaching and undergraduate mentorship.       

Undergraduate Program Development

Undergraduate scholarship support allows the Department to recognize outstanding undergraduate students for their excellence in course work and research.  Contributions at any level are greatly appreciated and allow us to honor exceptional students within the Department.  In addition to individual scholarships, current initiatives include support for student-run Chemistry Club programming and events, improvement of undergraduate lab facilities, and undergraduate mentorship programs.    

Named Endowed Scholarship

A gift of $20,000 or more establishes a permanent named scholarship. 

Named Scholarship Award

A gift of $1,000 or more establishes a one-year named award.

For more information on how you can support students, please contact Bryan Kerner 805-893-7223 or Bethany Innocenti 805-893-4963.


FACULTY SUPPORT

Endowed Chairs

Endowed Chairs honor, encourage, and support the professors whose brilliant minds and commitment to education and research promote the University’s mission. An endowed chair is the most significant honor the University can offer to faculty, by way of a donor’s generosity. Holders of endowed chairs represent the most distinguished scholars who are selected for brilliant scholarship, inspirational teaching, and outstanding leadership.

An endowed chair is a permanent endowment created by a philanthropic gift that supports the teaching and research of the scholar. A gift of $500,000 or more will support the creation of a new endowed chair and will provide a legacy for the donor on the UC Santa Barbara campus.

Lecture Series

Lecture series provide the department with the opportunity to bring internationally recognized scholars to UC Santa Barbara.  The visiting scholars are invited to participate with faculty and students within the department through a formal lecture presented to the campus and local community, presentations in undergraduate and graduate level classes, and informal, small group discussions.  Lecture series enable the department to provide an exceptional learning environment for students that augments the general curriculum while raising the profile of the department by attracting preeminent scholars in a particular field.  These lectures are made possibly by the generosity of our donors and the funds allow us to attract distinguished scholars to our campus and to maximize the impact of their visit to UC Santa Barbara. 

Named Endowed Lecture Series 

A gift of $20,000 or more establishes a permanent named lecture that can occur annually. 

Named Lecture

A gift of $5,000 will support the expenses related to one lecture and can be named for the generosity of the donor.  

For more information on how you can support faculty, please contact Bryan Kerner 805-893-7223 or Bethany Innocenti 805-893-4963.


CAPITAL NAMING OPPORTUNITIES

Buildings, teaching facilities, and research labs all foster interactions among students and faculty, contain areas for study and leisure, and inspire excellent work.  The quality of these spaces is essential in maintaining the competiveness of the Department.  There are many undergraduate laboratories, which are available for naming gifts. 

For more information please contact Bryan Kerner 805-893-7223 or Bethany Innocenti 805-893-4963.